The Navy is hiking its career sea pay rates by 25 percent this summer. (MC3 Adam Randolp / Navy)

Related Links

The Navy is hiking its career sea pay rates by 25 percent this summer, the first such hike in the pay in over a decade, the service announced Tuesday. The move is designed to better reward sailors for fleet time and to fill as many as 9,000 open jobs in the operational force.

The 25 percent rate hike is aimed to catch up to inflation since 2001, the last time the pays were adjusted.

“This increase is long overdue and is meant to reward our sailors and Marines for their continued sacrifices as part of ‘America’s Away Team.’ ” Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said in a news release Tuesday. “This change to Career Sea Pay will both improve critical sea-duty manning and reward those who take these challenging sea-going assignments.”

The service also boosted the career sea pay premium, a kicker sailors begin receiving after 36 consecutive months in a sea duty billet. The monthly premium will double from an extra $100 each month to $200.

Both types of career sea pay are in addition to a sailor’s normal base pay and any other specialty pays they’re eligible for, based on their qualifications, billet or command.

The sea pay raise was announced in tandem with the presentation of the fiscal year 2015 budget request, but the raise is aimed to take effect later this fiscal year, before October when fiscal ’15 begins.

Though Mabus has signed off on the pay increase, there’s still more work to be done. Officials expect to start paying at the higher rates this fiscal year.

“Pending final coordination with the Defense Finance and Accounting Service, it is expected that the new CSP and CSP-P rates will take effect early this summer,” the Navy release said. “An announcement on the exact date is forthcoming.”